Furious League

Um yeah you are, we've got Villa. I've changed it

Nick - any chance you can change the fixtures on the tactics page

JUS PUT A LINK 2 THE FIXTURE PAGE

That's a good idea PineappleHead, although Nick will need to do it as I cannot change the tactics page.

Gregars: Could probably do with abit more re. tactics. Most of us put quite abit of a description down as tactics can be vital to winning games.

Most of us fancy ourselves as the new Mourinho don't we Andy .

Seriously though, Andy's advice is sound advice. Despite the occasional complaints of managers not reading tactics, they can be crucial to the result, so it is worth spending some time on them.

Smarts - when are your going to be ready

Morning guys lol Afro I was just coming on to say I have just finished my tactics. Well I'm not sure their finished but I can't be bothered adding anything else to them lol

Just adding the finishing touches to mine

Okay cool

Post in 5?

Just got collared. Going to post at midday

Afro: Ill probably send you my week 3 tactics later on today as a PM

And who is this Mourinho chap you speak off?

Okay post at 12 Afro

Sorry Afto just posted but didnt read yours at all. Just on the phone in work

No worries mate.

I was a bit late too.

Have had a read of yours now. Have my thoughts, but will Pm you so as to not influence others.

I'm going to read yours now

BOOM

Bears usually on afternoon yeah?

I got my tactics done so Im good to post, tell him that when hes on and just email me if im not around here.

Yoooo, im hungry star....just munched off my sandwiches too. Might go chippy

Watch out, here's Basil Brush

WAT HAPPEN 2 THE PREDICTION GAME

Smalling signs new long term contract at United. Good news for you boys I think.

Question for you both: How does Smalling last season compare versus Jonny Evans the season before?

Pineapple - I don't think there are any Russian fixtures atm

Smalling was impessive last season, id say better then Evans in the previous as Smalling was consistant. Evans played well but there was still games where he got a low rating. Smalling has had a good level rating across the board complimented with some fantastic preformances in some big big games.

Smalling is a championship defender to be fair.

What makes you say that Smarts.

When I saw him for Fulham I ws dubious, but I was impressed last year

Not many people make the step up from non league to the top at his age. But he never stood out for me in any games last season, and I saw him have a few stinkers. West Ham away sticks out in my mind as a real shocker, but Vidic was terrible in that game to. Phil Jones will be a lot better than Smalling IMO.

AHHHHHHHHH HAHAHA
Smarts, your defense would cry out for a player like Smalling

I think not Nick.

Smalling >>>> Any CB at Arsenil. Yes even that Verm guy who DOESNT play

Smarts you prick, look at how poor your defence especially CB's are. Smalling would walk into your starting 11

Hahaha Joker for life. All Arsenals CBs are better than Chris Smalling :O

Haha, Smarts you're deluded for lift.
You are crying out for a decent CB, Smalling would walk right into your starting line up.

Why did Wenger buy Mikel Silvertre off us the other year?? Why was there hear say about him want John O'Shea?? Because you lack quality, not only through your squad but your CB's lack quality like PineAppleHead lacks the abilty to get a hard on

Arsenals shocking defence only conceded 9 more than the invincible Man Utd defence Nick :O when you take into account they had stopped playing with about 6 games to go and their best defender Verm got injured on international duty and wasnt playing, + 2 of the CB's were new signings and the other in his 1st season as a 1st teamer that isn't bad going at all.

Has Bolton manager been on today? How do you check if he is posting on other pages?

lol, Smarts, I dont care how man goal you conceded. How did you lose the Carling Cup?? Your defence is a calamity been highlighted all season for being a joke

Havent seen Bolton manager. Bear is usually on in the afternoon tho

That error is only highlighted due to the timing of it and that it got punished though. Plenty of other 'top' defences made errors throughout last season. However LB was a bit of a problem area for us at times as well as GK. Hopefully those problems are now resolved or will be resolved before next season.

Are the pre lims to be played on Monday Afro?

Smarts - find one of his posts or topics, click on his name, go to statistics and click on 'Find all messages posted by GloucesterBear'

And yes, he has been posting in his rugby league today.

Cup prelim is next week, with tactics due in by close of Monday

smartestgooner wrote:That error is only highlighted due to the timing of it and that it got punished though. Plenty of other 'top' defences made errors throughout last season. However LB was a bit of a problem area for us at times as well as GK. Hopefully those problems are now resolved or will be resolved before next season.

This is true. If you judge Vidic on that one game against Liverpool where Torres tore him apart, then you would have Vidic as a calamity. He clearly isn't and is one of the best Cbs is the world.

Andy - when are you away, and for how long?

I just used one example, first one that came to mind.

Afro, you have to admit Arsenil's CB's are shockingly bad, be honest now

My honest opinion.

Vermaelen is decent, but I do wander how much of his reputation comes from the fact he scores goals, as opposed to his defending.

Kocielny took a while to settle, but looked fairly decent by the end of the season. Djorou looked good last year too, but has looked dodgy up til then.

Squillaci is poor and I don't think will get any better.

They lack a truly dominating CB in the Adams, Terry or Vidic mould.

I think Djorou + Vermaelen might be pretty solid. Sagna was great last season.

I just private messaged Gloucester to get his tactics in.

I don't think you have a solid CB partnership unless you also get a more consistent DM than Song (or Song takes a step up)

Vermaelen - when he plays again then rate him. I dont understand how you can rate a player who has NOT played. think he made like 3-6 apperences all season all comps. Thats poor, not his fault BTW but back to the main point, how can you rate him.
Your going on past judgement and giving him the benifit of the doubt. Dont agree with that.

Djorou still look dodgy at time, flaked in the big matches.
Kocielny is a shocker. has some decent matches but has never really impressed me and made me think "there something there"
Squillaci 2.5 euros was it, you got Kelly Ripa'd

or Song takes a step up - in the showers haha, boys going prison!!

Similar could be said for Ferdinand as for Vermaelen then

Ahh true, but Ferdinand did play 25 + matches, so a minimum of 5x more then Verm.
Prem season has 38 matches so Rio played at least more than two thirds of a season.

Also that is a good amount of matches that he has made a contribution/had an influence on our season. Cant say the same about Verm

Song is going to prison? :S

Verm is still young, that is the only major injury he has sufferred in his career to date. So I really hope he is over that now. He looked fit at the end of the season and the coaches think he is back to full fitness. Will have to wait and see.

What big matches did Djourou flake in? Didn't the partnership of Djourou and Koscielny do about 8 cleansheets in a row?
To be fair they were solid against Barcelona as well. Koscielny was quality against Barca and Guardiola actually praised him after the game. Must have been a baptism of fire for him as he wasn't supposed to be 1st team straight away but due to Vermaelens injury was thrown straight in at the deep end.

Well lads thats me finished and on my hols

I will see you all in a weeks time. Afro, ive messaged you my tactics for week 3. And ill need someone to do results for me for next week. Whoever does them can they message me a copy of everyones predos.

For e.g:

Blackpool v West Brom
Fan: 2-0
Andy: 1-0
Nick: 1-2
etc.

Do this for each game then send them to me to double check If not ill try and check myself when i get back.

Speak to ya soon lads.

Song is going to prison? - he might be. Beat some kid up (really a kid) in his homeland. Got a court date in Aug sometime but he doesnt actually have to physically be there (think they just sentence him or somthing, dont fully understand it was just explained to me like I am to you, Google it).

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3677369/Arsenal-star-Alex-Song-in-jail-fear.html

http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2011/07/05/arsenal-s-song-could-face-prison-after-bar-brawl

http://www.mirosport.net/2011/soccer/29443/alex-song-could-face-jail-time/

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/199331/Arsenal-star-Alex-Song-in-jail-fear/

Never even heard that one, I don't read those trashy newspapers like the sun though lol